


(Don't) Catch Me

by 128andfalling



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Awkwardness, F/M, Marichat, Slow Burn, bad dating luck, friend zoned, she's just a friend agreste
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-07 18:52:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16413935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/128andfalling/pseuds/128andfalling
Summary: At 22, Marinette hasn’t had much luck in the dating arena. Since moving on from her childhood crush, something always goes wrong. Where was her Ladybug Luck™ when it comes to romance?





	(Don't) Catch Me

Chat Noir observed the sun begin its descent below the Parisian skyline from one of his favorite spots overlooking the Seine. No matter which direction he looked, the view was always a masterpiece. As the colors began to fade from immaculate orange to navy, Chat turned his attention to the citizens below. A few bicyclists making their way home; friends laughing; a barge drifted by featuring a lively argument; and across the way sat a woman on the terrace of a busy restaurant. Something about her drew him in, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Both her appearance and her mannerisms declared her to be delicate yet bold. Her maroon dress had a jaw and eye dropping neckline, yet the curls escaping from her bun seemed like silk along her jaw. One hand glided over the rim of her rosé while the other tapped on the table. Although she appeared calm and collected on the outside, Chat barely caught the shaky sigh that escaped her darkly tinted lips.

At that moment, the waiter appeared with some fresh bread. “Are you ready to order, mademoiselle?”

“No, I’m still waiting on someone. Thank you,” she returned with a polite smile. 

Chat may have been baited by her appearance, but her voice hooked him. It was oddly familiar in that he felt like he had heard it in another life, yet yesterday at the same time. Unconsciously, he had crouched into a stalking position, balanced on the balls of his feet as he examined her. Moving along the edge of the roof, he positioned himself to see her face. He recognized Marinette instantly, but he couldn’t help but feel like she reminded him of someone else as well. It had been nearly 7 months since he had last seen her at Nino’s New Year’s party. They remained friends, sending each other the occasional meme or cat video, but were far from close. Chat wanted to kick himself for not recognizing her quicker; they had only known each other for 10 years.

As the sky continued to darken, Chat settled into his perch, eyes fixed on Marinette. He couldn’t explain why he was so enamoured by her in this moment. He watched her, trying to understand his own fascination—or at least that’s what he told himself. Over the next twenty minutes, she finished her wine, ordered another glass, and checked her watch as frequently as she scanned the movement in the restaurant. Marinette slowly sunk more into her chair as the pitying looks from those around her increased. 

Unable to bear the growing sadness in his friend’s eyes, Chat bolted to the roof above the restaurant and lowered himself using his staff so that he was level with the terrace. 

“Is this seat taken?” Chat inquired, gesturing to the empty chair across from Marinette. 

After recovering slightly from the sudden appearance of her superhero partner, Marinette coyly answered, “I’m waiting for someone. However, you can amuse me in the meantime.” 

“Why thank you, princess,” Chat responded as he gracefully hopped over the railing and into the chair. 

With chair across from her now occupied, and by no other than her trusty partner, Marinette felt some of her tension disappear. 

“So what’s a beautiful lady like yourself doing sitting alone at a table meant for two?” 

_ Cheesy and blunt, _ Marinette thought to herself.  _ Of course there’s no beating around the bush with this cat. _

“Well it was supposed to be a second date, but when the guy is an hour… oh no,  _ two  _ hours late,” Marinette bitterly corrected as she glanced at her watch, “it just ends up being a lousy night. I wish I could say this was the first time this has happened to me. But I think this makes six.”

“Six?” the astonishment in Chat’s voice apparent.

“Since the beginning of this year,” Marinette finished resting her chin on her hands.

“You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was.” 

“Oof.”

“I know.” 

Chat examined her. “Do you want me to throw him into the Seine for you?”

Marinette stared at him, eyes wide and vibrant lips parted. 

“Or cover his car in sticky notes? Perhaps tape him to a flagpole. Oh, I know! I’ll steal half of his left and half of his right shoes so that he has no matching pairs!”

She tried and failed to suppress her giggles. “As funny as it would be to see him have to go to work wearing a flip flop and a dress shoe, I think I’ll pass on the revenge. I can barely hold Alya back as it is, and I can’t imagine what the two of you would scheme together.”

“Princess, I never  _ scheme _ . I only bring justice.” To prove his point, he puffed out his chest in the iconic heroic pose and wiggled his eyebrows at her. 

“Covering someone’s car in sticky notes is justice now? Watch out villains of Paris. You will be brought down with office supplies.” She earned a chuckle from the local vigilante. 

Smiles still gracing their faces, they fell into a comfortable silence lost in each other’s eyes. There was just something so familiar, yet deep with mystery; a mystery that was solely intended for them to discover.

“Hey,” Chat broke the silence with a soft, low voice, “Can I be your date for the rest of the evening? I mean you look so pretty and I would hate for such a fine summer night and that beautiful dress to go to waste. If you don’t want to, I und—”  

Marinette stopped his rambling with a gentle hand on his. “I would actually love that.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

The waiter returned to the table. “Anything for you tonight, Chat Noir?”

“I believe just the check. I'm only here for the damsel in distress.”

“I'm not in distress,” Marinette huffed, leaning back and crossing her arms. 

“There is no check tonight. Mademoiselle’s drinks are on the house.”

“That's very kind of you, Marc. Thank you.” Marinette reached out and squeezed his hand. “Tell Nathaniel I said hello?”

“I will.” Marc smiled, quickly glancing at Chat Noir. “And enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Before Marinette could reply to his suggestive tone, Chat stood and offered his hand. “Shall we, princess?”

 

* * *

 

 

_ Knight in shining armor? I think you mean idiot in tin foil.  _ Marinette smirked to herself as Chat carried her across the city. She didn’t know where they were going, but she trusted her partner. Savoring his embrace, she nuzzled against his neck.  _ To escape the wind _ , she told herself. Of course, she couldn’t see the fond expression the boy gave her or the blush creeping up his own cheeks.

She couldn’t deny, though, how long it had been since someone had held her close. Since she had even wanted to be held by someone. With Chat, it wasn’t awkward or forced. It was just nice.

Chat Noir landed in a small alleyway behind what looked like a restaurant and returned Marinette’s feet to the ground. 

“Wait here,” he whispered. Marinette tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as Chat lightly scratched on a door. 

After a moment, a large man with a heavy Italian accent opened the door. “Who is it? What do you want?” His eyes landed on Chat and his face immediately lit up. “Oooh hello, gatto!” Opening his arms wide, he hugged the feline superhero and quickly kissed his cheeks.

“Tony!” Chat responded, returning the embrace.

“Where have you been so long? Hey Joe! Look who’s here!” Tony called back into the kitchen before Chat could answer.

Another man in an apron appeared in the doorway. “Well what do you know? It’s a gatto! Tony, show him the lights. The usual coming up!” he called, returning back inside.

“Yes, yes. We made some improvements. Just for you!” Tony reached inside and flipped a light switch, turning on a strand of lights. The soft glow from the bulbs revealed a small table with two chairs and Marinette who had been fondly watching the interaction. 

“Ahhh, what’s this?” Tony cast a glance at Chat, who was shyly rubbing the back of his neck. Before Chat could respond, Tony hollered back to the kitchen. “Hey Joe! Look! Gatto, he’s got a girlfriend!”

Joe stuck his head out the doorway. “Well, son of a gun! Look at that!”

Marinette smiled at the two men and offered a little wave.

Tony clapped Chat Noir on the shoulder. “She’s a pretty sweet one, gatto. Take Tony’s advice, don’t let this one go. Okay! First, we set the table.”

Tony disappeared inside, giving the two a brief moment alone. “Sorry,” Chat offered with a sympathetic smile. 

Marinette opened her mouth to respond when Tony returned. Skillfully, he spread out a tablecloth with one hand and promptly placed a small candle and basket of breadsticks out for them. Reaching back inside the kitchen, he also grabbed two glasses and a pitcher of water for the table.

“Come, come!” Tony gestured for them to approach and pulled out Marinette’s chair for her. “Only the best for our favorite customer! Dinner will be out shortly.”

Music began playing from just inside the door as Tony retreated back to the kitchen. Finally alone, the two locked eyes and burst into laughter. 

“I’m sorry. They can be a bit…”

“Extra?” Marinette offered, amusement tinting her voice. “I can see why you like them. How long have you been coming here?”   

“Oh, probably once a month for the last year? I was hiding from some paparazzi back here one night. Tony found me, made me dinner, and said I was welcome to come whenever I wanted. After my first visit, I waited to see if they would use my presence for publicity, but they never breathed a word to anyone. Haven’t even asked for a picture or an autograph. It’s refreshing being around people who aren’t trying to use me for one thing or another. Not to mention, their food is to die for.”

Marinette hummed. “I can imagine being famous is difficult.”

“You have no idea,” Chat sighed. He was constantly surrounded by the pressures of fame as both Adrien and Chat Noir. Moments of peace were few and far between. 

Marinette studied him. She could relate as Ladybug, yet her civilian identity was an easy escape. However, she got the feeling Chat didn’t have that luxury.

Changing the subject, she asked, “If you could do anything, and time, money, or ability wasn’t an issue, what would you do and why?”

“Oh, good question, beautiful. I think I would want to do something where I could interact with a lot of different people from different walks of life and hear their stories. Like having a cool bookshop. With coffee. And a residential cat! Yeah.” Chat smiled at his own ideas, tempted to slip away into his own ideal world. “What about you?”

“I still want to go into fashion, but I’d want to do it differently. Like, I don’t want to cut others down to get ahead. There’s so much competition, and I want more collaboration and just a positive environment. I know that’s not how things work, but I want to change that.” Marinette avoided his gaze, playing with her bracelet instead. 

“I think you should try to do that. Fashion is a cut-throat environment, but who says it has be? Do you want to stay in Paris?”

“Yes. I would like to travel, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else. You?”

“I guess so. Paris is all I’ve ever known. Plus, until we know Hawkmoth is gone, I can’t leave.”

“I understand. But if you could…” Marinette encouraged.

“I hear Canada is nice,” Chat chuckled. “And that the people are really down to earth. Also, I want to see a moose.”

“A moose? But they’re huge!”

“Exactly.” Chat’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at the dork before her. 

Emerging from the kitchen, Tony casually sung, “Some say the best way to the heart is through the stomach.” He set the dishes on the table, and leaned down as if to tell them a secret. “But I say the best way to the heart is through laughter. Tonight, you have both!”

Winking at the couple, Tony continued his melody, voice fading as he disappeared inside. Chat Noir blushed at Tony’s words. “Again, I am so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Marinette replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

The rest of their dinner went smoothly as the conversation flowed from one topic to another. They laughed under the stars, especially at Tony’s efforts to add romance through wine and cheesecake. Marinette couldn’t remember the last time she had this much fun on a “date.” Of course, it wasn’t a real date, because he had just rescued her after being stood up by her actual date, who was an asshole. Plus, there was no way dates could be this effortless and carefree anyway. 

_ Absolutely not a date _ , Marinette reminded herself as their evening drew to a close.  

“Anything else for the lovely couple this evening?” Tony inquired. 

“If you would be so kind as to give me the bill, we will be on our way,” Chat answered.

“Oh no, gatto. On the house!”

“Tony, really. I insist.”

“Ahhh! Hey Joe! Can you believe this? Gatto, he’s trying to pay us again.” Tony disappeared inside before Chat could argue with him. 

“Everytime,” he whispered to Marinette, rolling his eyes. “Well, can I escort you home?” Standing, he offered his hand to her with a slight bow. 

“I’d be delighted.”

Chat had just helped her to her feet when Tony poked his head out the doorway.

“Oh and Chat Noir? Stop sending us money anonymously.” Tony interrupted before Chat could object, pointing an accusing finger. “I know it’s you! It’s our honor to host Paris’ hero. Come back soon, yes? And bring her too. Alla prossima!”

Marinette gawked at the leather clad hero. Not only was he charming, handsome, and funny, but also generous. And, despite doing so much for others, she saw that he might not know how to accept kindness from others. He offered her a sheepish smile before scooping her up and bounding across rooftops. 

After giving him her address, Marinette took the opportunity to view the city without having to also watch her step. Their home truly was breathtaking. She couldn’t help but steal glances at the boy holding her as well. He had aged nicely. Baby cheeks had receded to reveal a sharp jaw and a bit of stubble. His voice had deepened and rounded out; it was pleasant to listen to him. Marinette couldn’t avoid how his muscles had toned out, either, especially since she was being held against his chest. This may not be a date, but she could still appreciate his looks. 

Once closer to her building, Marinette directed Chat to a balcony with a small lantern bright enough to guide him to the space but not cast much light. It was perfect for when she returned home as Ladybug. Returning her feet to the ground, Chat’s hands lingered for a moment. Marinette’s cheeks betrayed her with a blush at the contact. It’s not like being close to him was new; it had just been so long and his presence felt right and familiar. Marinette shoved those thoughts down. 

“Thank you. For tonight. I really enjoyed”— _ spending it with you _ —”the company,” she said instead.

He looked at her with a dazzling smile and soft eyes. “My pleasure,  _ purr _ incess. And if you change your mind about my revenge ideas, just say the word.”    
  
Marinette snickered. “I think I’ll be okay.” Reaching up on her toes, she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Good night, Chat Noir. And thank you again.” Marinette slipped inside before he had a chance to respond. 

“Ga- good. Nigh. Good night. Good night, Marinette!” Chat shook his head. “Ugh, why am I stammering?” After a longing glance at the closed door, Chat Noir jumped off the balcony and moved towards his own residence. 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @128andfalling
> 
> Thank you to @baelfyre1053 and @denimboi for beta reading this!


End file.
